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JUN  1  6  2005 

UNIVERSITY  OF 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


BULLETIN    NO.   93. 


SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP 

LANDS,  INCLUDING  REFERENCE  TO 

SAND  AND  "ALKALI"  SOILS. 


BY  CYRIL  G.  HOPKINS. 


URBANA,  ILLINOIS,  JANUARY,  1904. 


SUMMARY  OF  BULLETIN  No.  93. 

1.  There  are  many  thousand  acres  of  peaty  swamp  land  in  northern  Illinois, 
much  of  which  produces  almost  no  crops  because  the  soil  is  deficient  in  the  element 
potassium,  although  it  is  rich  in  all  other  elements  of  plant  food.  Page  275. 

2.  On  the  University  of  Illinois  soil  experiment  field  near  Tampico  (Whiteside 
County),  on  peaty  swamp  soil,  the  addition  of  potassium  produced  yields  of  36  to  60 
bushels  of  corn  in  1902,  and  45  to  66  bushels  in  1903,  while,  with  no  potassium 
applied,  no  ear  corn  was  produced.  Page  277. 

3.  On  the  University  of  Illinois  soil  experiment  field  near  Momence  ( Kankakee 
County),  on  peaty  swamp  soil,  potassium  produced  20  to  32  bushels  of  corn  in  1902, 
and  67  to  73  bushels  in  1903,  while  without  potassium  the  average  yield  was  only 
5  bushels.  Page  282. 

4.  Some  kinds  of  peaty  swamp  soil  will  improve  with  the  right  kind  of  culti- 
vation, and  finally  become  very  productive  soils,  which  will  not  require  the  con- 
tinued use  of  potassium,  while  other  kinds  will  probably  always  require  potassium 
to  be  applied.  Page  292. 

5.  Some  kinds  of  peaty  swamp  soils  after  years  of  cultivation  are  found  to 
resemble  sand  ridge  soil,  which  is  most  deficient  in  the  element  nitrogen,  which  can 
be  obtained  from  the  air  at  very  slight  cost  by  means  of  suitable  leguminous  crops. 

Page  294. 

6.  Nitrogen  applied  to  the  University  of  Illinois  soil  experiment  field,  near 
Green  Valley  (Tazewell  County),  on  sand  ridge  soil,  has  increased  the  yield  of  corn 
from  about  30  bushels  to  more  than  60  bushels  per  acre.  Page  295. 

7.  This  bulletin  tells  how  and  where  to  purchase  potassium,  how  to  use  it,  and 
how  to  save  it  so  that  most  of  it  can  be  used  again  and  again  for  several  crops- 

Page  297. 

8.  Certain  kinds  of  farm  manure  produce  fairly  good  results  on  some  peaty 
swamp  soils,  but  commonly  it  is  better  farm  practice  to  use  the  manure  on  other 
kinds  of  soil  and  buy  potassium  for  the  peaty  swamp  soils.  Page  298. 

9.  There  is  no  more  profit  in  starving  plants  than  there  is  in  starving  animals. 
While  heavy  applications  of  potassium  must  sometimes  be  made  at  first,  with 
proper  management  only  light   applications  will  be  required  after  a  few  years. 

Page  299. 

10.  Farmers  who  have  tried  potassium  in  1903  on  peaty  swamp  lands  report  an 
increase  of  more  than  30  bushels  of  corn,  this  increase  being  due  to  potassium. 

Page  300. 

11.  The  so-called  "alkali"  soils  of  Illinois,  which  are  also  being  investigated, 
are  not  the  same  as  peaty  swamp  soils.  Page  301. 

12.  The  Experiment  Station  cannot  undertake  to  analyze  miscellaneous  sam- 
ples of  soil  for  private  parties.     Methods  of  soil  investigation  must  be  systematic 
and  exact.  Page  302. 

13.  Upon  request  to  the  Illinois  Experiment  Station,  Urbana,  111.,  this  bulletin 
will  be  sent  to  any  one  interested  in  Illinois  agriculture. 


SOIL   TREATMENT    FOR    PEATY    SWAMP 

LANDS,   INCLUDING  REFERENCE  TO 

SAND  AND  "ALKALI"  SOILS. 

BY  CYRIL  G.  HOPKINS,  CHIEF  IN  AGRONOMY  AND  CHEMISTRY. 

There  are  immense  areas  of  peaty  swamp  lands  in  the  northern  and 
north-central  part  of  Illinois.  As  a  rule  these  soils  do  not  grow  good  crops. 
When  first  broken,  they  sometimes  yield  one  or  two  fair  crops  of  corn, 
but  generally  the  third  crop  is  very  poor,  and  afterward  little  or  no  corn 
is  produced.  Oats  do  somewhat  better,  but  usually  the  yield  of  grain  is 
very  unsatisfactory,  even  when  a  fair  amount  of  straw  is  grown.  These 
soils  are  usually  very  black  and  very  rich  in  organic  matter,  and  they  are 
frequently  drained  at  great  expense  with  the  expectation  that  they  will 
be  very  productive  and  almost  inexhaustible,  but  not  infrequently  they 
yield  disappointment  and  financial  loss. 

While  it  will  not  be  possible  to  locate  and  investigate  all  of  the  different 
tracts  of  peaty  soil  until  we  extend  the  detail  soil  survey  over  the  entire 
state,  nevertheless  we  have  already  obtained  considerable  information 
regarding  these  lands  in  connection  with  our  general  survey  of  Illinois 
soils,  and  this  bulletin  is  published  because  we  know  that  this  information 
can  be  used  by  many  Illinois  farmers  and  land-owners  with  advantage 
and  profit  in  increasing  the  productive  capacity  of  such  soils. 

These  peaty  swamp  soils  are  present  in  large  areas  in  Lee  County,  in 
southern  Whiteside  County,  in  Rock  Island  County,  in  the  northeastern 
part  of  Henry  County,  and  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Bureau  County. 
In  Kankakee  and  Iroquois  Counties,  in  northern  Mason  County,  and 
southwestern  Tazewell  County,  large  tracts  of  peaty  soil  are  found;  and 
smaller  tracts  are  found  in  the  counties  of  Winnebago,  Boone,  McHenry, 
Lake,  Dekalb,  and  Kane,  and  there  is  more  or  less  of  this  soil  in  several 
other  northern  counties,  such  as  Kendall,  Will,  LaSalle  Grundy,  Livings- 
ton, etc.  Some  peaty  soil  has  been  found  in  northern  Ford  County,  and 
one  small  tract  in  western  McLean  County.  This  soil  is  also  known  to 
extend  into  northern  Indiana*  and  southern  Wisconsin,*  and  it  is  reported 
as  present  in  Iowa  to  considerable  extent. 

Commonly  the  peaty  soil  occupies  the  lower  lying  areas,  but  some- 
times it  is  found  in  table-lands.  It  is  always  on  land  which  was  at  one 
time  poorly  drained. 

The  peaty  soil  varies  from  almost  pure  brown  peat,  containing    80 


*The  experiment  stations  of  Indiana. and  Wisconsin  have  published  some  results 
of  investigations  relating;  to  similar  soils,  and  in  several  cases  a  deficiency  of  potas- 
sium has  been  strongly  indicated.  (See  page  290.) 

275 


276  BULLETIN  No.  93.  [January, 

percent  or  more  of  combustible  material,  to  black  muck,  containing  much 
less  organic  matter.  In  some  places  these  soils  extend  continuously 
over  tracts  of  considerable  size  (sometimes  over  several  square  miles), 
to  the  exclusion  of  other  types  of  soil;  but  more  commonly  the  peaty 
soils  occupy  irregularly  shaped  areas  scattered  about  in  bodies  of  land 
of  different  kinds.  Sandy  land  is  frequently  found  adjoining  or  sur- 
rounding the  tracts  of  peaty  soil,  and  sand  is  the  most  common  subsoil 
found  under  peaty  swamp  soils,  although  a  clay  subsoil  is  found  in  many 
places,  and  sometimes  the  peaty  soil  is  underlain,  at  a  depth  of  only  a 
few  feet,  with  limestone  rock.  Occasionally  the  peaty  soil  adjoins  ordi- 
nary Illinois  prairie  land. 

Peat  itself  consists  largely  of  partially  decayed  sphagnum  moss, 
which  grew  in  the  water  which  once  covered  these  areas.  In  growing, 
the  moss  obtains  carbon,  from  the  carbon  dioxid  in  the  air,  and  hydrogen 
and  oxygen,  from  water,  being  similar  to  other  plants  in  this  respect. 
The  water  in  which  the  sphagnum  moss  grows  is  more  or  less  stagnant. 
It  is  usually  surface-drainage  or  seepage  water,  and  contains  sufficient 
nitrogen,  phosphorus,  potassium,  and  other  essential  elements  of  plant 
food  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  growing  moss.  Both  nitrogen  and  phos- 
phorus enter  into  fairly  stable  organic  combinations  with  the  carbon, 
hydrogen,  and  oxygen,  and  when  the  moss  changes  to  peat,  and  even 
when  the  peat  partially  decays,  these  two  elements,  nitrogen  and  phos- 
phorus (especially  the  nitrogen),  are  largely  retained  in  the  organic  mat- 
ter. The  potassium,  however,  reverts  more  largely  to  the  soluble  form 
and  it  is  finally  lost  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  in  the  drainage  waters 
flowing  from  the  peat  bogs. 

A  considerable  number  of  the  peaty  swamp  soils  from  different 
places  in  the  state  have  been  analyzed  by  the  Experiment  Station,  and 
they  are  found  to  be  very  rich  in  nitrogen,  well  supplied  with  phosphorus, 
but  very  deficient  in  potassium,  as  compared  with  the  ordinary  fertile 
soils  of  the  state.  It  has  long  been  known  that  such  soils  are  frequently 
deficient  in  mineral  elements. 

Some  preliminary  field  tests  made  by  the  Experiment  Station,  and 
by  farmers  who  were  induced  through  correspondence  with  the  Experi- 
ment Station  to  make  some  trials,  gave  results  strongly  indicating  the 
need  of  applying  available  potassium  to  some  of  these  soils.  Pot  culture 
experiments  gave  similar  indications,  and  the  field  experiments  which 
are  reported*  in  this  bulletin  certainly  furnish  very  conclusive  proof  of 
the  power  of  potassium  to  increase  the  productive  capacity  of  some  of 
these  soils. 

In  this  connection  the  author  desires  to  mention  his  appreciation  of 
the  assistance  of  Mr.  J.  E.  Readhimer  in  superintending  these  field 


*Some  reference  to  these  investigations  has  already  been  made  in  Circulars  64, 
68,  and  72.     (See  also  previous  foot-note.) 


1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS.  277 

experiments,  and  also  the  value  and  importance  of  the  care  which  has 
been  given  to  these  different  soil  experiment  fields  by  the  progressive  and 
interested  farmers  upon  whose  farms  the  fields  were  located,  as  indicated 
in  the  following  pages. 

\ 

TAMPICO  SOIL  EXPERIMENT  FIELD. 

This  is  one  of  the  regular  University  of  Illinois  soil  experiment  fields. 
It  is  located  in  the  S.  E.  40  of  the  S.  W.  \  of  Sec.  6,  Twp.  19  N.,  R.  7  E. 
of  the  4th  P.  M.,  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Milligan,  about  five  miles 
northeast  of  Tampico,  Whiteside  County,  Illinois.  The  soil  consists  of 
black  peaty  material,  rich  in  organic  matter  to  a  depth  of  sixteen  inches. 
Between  16  and  30  inches  the  material  is  lighter  in  color  and  quite  sandy, 
with  little  organic  matter.  The  subsoil  below  30  inches  is  almost  pure 
coarse  sand.  This  soil  is  fairly  representative  of  considerable  amounts 
of  land  in  southern  Whiteside  and  adjoining  counties,  which  is  non- 
productive, or  of  very  low  productive  capacity,  especially  for  corn. 

This  field  consists  of  ten  tenth-acre  plots,  numbered  from  101  to  110. 
The  individual  plots  are  each  two  rods  wide  and  eight  rods  long,  each 
plot  being  surrounded  by  a  cropped  and  cultivated  border  one-fourth 
rod  wide,  which  makes  one-half  rod  division  strips  between  adjacent 
plots.  The  treatment  applied  to  these  different  plots  is  what  we  call 
our  "complete  fertility  test."  It  includes  trials  with  applications  of  the 
elements,  nitrogen,  phosphorus,  and  potassium,  singly,  in  all  possible 
double  combinations,  and  all  three  together,  all  in  connection  with  lime; 
also  a  double  test  as  to  the  effect  of  applying  lime,  first  with  lime  alone, 
and  finally  with  the  three  elements  added.  The  plan  will  be  easily 
understood  by  reference  to  the  tabular  statements.  (L  means  lime,  N 
means  nitrogen,  P  means  phosphorus,  and  K  means  potassium,  from 
the  Latin  name  kalium,  this  symbol  (K)  being  used  for  potassium  by  all 
nations.) 

Nitrogen  is  applied  in  the  form  of  dried  blood,  a  material  containing 
12  to  14  percent  of  nitrogen.  About  800  pounds  of  dried  blood  per 
acre  are  used  each  year.  This  would  furnish  about  100  pounds  of  nitrogen 
or  as  much  as  is  contained  in  100  bushels  of  corn.  Of  course  the  nitrogen 
is  purchased  and  applied  in  readily  available  commercial  form  in  order 
to  ascertain  as  quickly  as  possible  if  the  soil  is  in  need  of  nitrogen.  If 
this  were  found  to  be  the  case  it  would  simply  indicate  that  in  farm 
practice  more  nitrogen  should  be  obtained  from  the  air  by  means  of 
leguminous  crops,  as  we  are  doing  in  our  rotation  experiments  (see 
Bulletin  No.  88,  "Soil  Treatment  for  Wheat  in  Rotations"),  and  not  that 
commercial  nitrogen  should  be  bought  and  applied  to  the  soil  (100  pounds 
of  commercial  nitrogen  cost  about  SI 5,  while  that  quantity  of  nitrogen 
can  be  obtained  from  the  air  with  clover  and  other  legumes  for  about  $1). 

The  phosphorus  is  applied  in  steamed  bone  meal.     This  material 


278 


BULLETIN  No.  93. 


[January, 


contains  about  12£  percent  of  the  element  phosphorus,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  forms  of  phosphorus  to  purchase  when  needed  in  general  farming. 
About  200  pounds  of  steamed  bone  meal  per  acre  are  applied  each  year. 
This  furnishes  about  25  pounds  of  phosphorus,  or  more  than  is  contained 
in  a  100-bushel  crop  of  corn,  the 'grain  containing  about  17  pounds  and 
the  stalks  6  pounds  of  that  element.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  steamed 
bone  meal  is  not  completely  available  the  first  season,  the  first  annual 
application  is  usually  400  instead  of  200  pounds  (phosphorus  in  steamed 
bone  meal  usually  costs  from  10  to  12  cents  a  pound,  the  steamed  bone 
meal  itself  being  $25  to  $30  a  ton). 

Potassium  is  applied  in  the  form  of  potassium  chlorid  (containing 
about  42  percent  of  potassium),  or  potassium  sulfate  (containing  about 
40  percent  of  that  element) .  About  200  pounds  of  the  salt  are  applied 
the  first  year,  and  100  or  200  pounds  per  acre  each  year  afterward.  One 
hundred  bushels  of  corn  contain  about  19  pounds  of  potassium,  and  the 
corresponding  three  tons  of  stalks  contain  about  52  pounds  of  that  element. 
If  the  stalks  or  the  ashes  from  the  stalks  are  left  on  the  land,  well  dis- 
tributed, the  annual  loss  in  potassium  is  only  about  20  pounds  for  a 
very  large  crop  of  corn,  and  100  pounds  of  potassium  chlorid  wrill  furnish 
42  pounds  of  the  element  potassium.  If  both  grain  and  stover  are  re- 
moved about  200  pounds  must  be  added  each  year. 

The  results  obtained  from  the  Tampico  soil  experiment  field  in  1902 
(the  first  year)  are  shown  in  Table  1 .  It  should  be  stated  that  although 
lime  was  applied  to  certain  plots  in  this  field  in  the  beginning  of  the  experi- 
ment, in  accordance  with  our  regular  plan  of  "complete  fertility  tests," 
it  has  produced  no  effect  whatever,  and.  the  subsequent  analysis  of  soil 
samples  taken  at  the  time  the  field  was  located  also  shows  that  the  soil 
is  not  in  need  of  lime.  (Lime  is  not  added  as  an  element  of  plant  food, 
but  only  to  correct  any  possible  acidity  of  the  soil,  and  thus  to  insure 
good  physical  conditions  where  the  elements  of  plant  food  are  added.) 

TABLE  1. — CROP  YIELDS  IN  SOIL  EXPERIMENTS;   TAMPICO  FIELD,  1902. 


Soil 

Yields  p 

er  acre. 

plot 
No. 

Soil  treatment  applied  to  peaty  swamp  soil. 

Corn, 
bushels. 

Stover, 
pounds. 

101 

None  

0 

1.000 

102 

Lime  

0 

800 

103 

Lime,  nitrogen  

0 

1,200 

104 

Lime,  phosphorus  

0 

2,000 

105 

Lime,  potassium  

36  3 

3,600 

106 

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus  

0 

1,400 

107 

Lime,  nitrogen,  potassium  

40.0 

3,500 

108 

Lime,  phosphorus,  potassium  

37.5 

3,100 

109 

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus,  potassium  

60  0 

4,400 

110 

Nitrogen,  phosphorus,  potassium  

52.5 

4,750 

1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS. 


279 


PL, 


O 
O 
g 

3 

H 


280 


BULLETIN  No.  93. 


[January , 


It  will  be  observed  that  every  plot  to  which  potassium  was  applied 
produced  a  fair  crop  of  corn,  varying  from  36  to  60  bushels,  while  no 
ear  corn  was  produced  on  any  plot  not  treated  with  potassium.  Even 
the  yield  of  stover,  or  barren  stalks,  was  small  on  plots  not  receiving 
potassium.  There  was  considerable  variation  in  the  yield  of  corn  from 
the  plots  treated  with  potassium.  This  was  probably  caused  more  by 
the  excessive  rainfall  and  consequent  injury  to  some  plots  from  too 
much  water  than  from  the  effect  ofother  applications  beside  potassium. 
Like  much  of  these  swamp  lands,  this  field  was  not  sufficiently  well 
drained  to  protect  it  in  excessively  wet  seasons.  Plot  109  is  slightly 
higher  than  most  of  the  other  plots,  and  this  is  believed  to  account 
largely  for  the  higher  yield  on  that  plot. 

Plate  1  shows  the  corn  growing  on  Plot  106  with  nitrogen  and  phos- 
phorus, on  the  left,  and  on  Plot  105  with  potassium,  on  the  right. 

Table  2  shows  the  results  obtained  from  this  same  field  in  1903  (the 
second  year). 

TABLE  2. — CROP  YIELDS  IN  SOIL  EXPERIMENTS;  TAMPICO  FIELD,  1903. 


Soil 
plot 
No. 

Soil  treatment  applied  to 
peaty  swamp  soil. 

Yields  per  acre. 

Corn,  bushels. 

Stover, 
pounds 
average. 

N.V 
plot. 

S.  i 
plot. 

Aver- 
age. 

101 
102 

103 
104 
105 

106 
107 
108 

109 
110 

None  .  .  

0 
0 

0 
0 
42.3 

0 
57.6 
47.1 

66.3 
53.2 

0 
0 

0 
0 
48.5 

0 
59.7 
46.6 

65.4 
64.0 

0 
0 

0 
0 
45.4 

0 
58  7 
46.9 

65  9 
58.6 

570 
590 

480 
740 
4,150 

600 
4,170 
3,860 

4,380 
3,960 

Lime  

Lime,  nitrogen  

Lime,  phosphorus  

Lime  potassium         

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus  
Lime  nitrogen  potassium  . 

Lime,  phosphorus,  potassium  .... 

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus, 
potassium       .    

Nitrogen,  phosphorus, 
potassium 

The  five  plots  receiving  potassium  produced  from  45  to  65  bushels 
of  corn  per  acre,  while  no  ear  corn  was  produced  on  any  of  the  five  plots 
to  which  no  potassium  was  applied.  Owing  to  the  very  wet  season  of 
1903,  the  yields  from  most  of  the  plots  receiving  potassium  are  lower 
than  they  would  otherwise  have  been,  Plot  109  being  the  highest,  as  in 
1902,  and  largely  for  the  reason  previously  given.  It  is  evident  that  the 
excessive  amount  of  water  in  the  soil  retarded  the  nitrification  of  the 
organic  nitrogen  naturally  contained  in  the  soil  in  very  large  amounts; 
while  the  nitrogen  supplied  in  the  form  of  dried  blood,  being  in  the  sur- 
face soil  and  very  easily  nitrified,  did  effect  some  increase  in  the  yield 
wherever  both  potassium  and  nitrogen  were  added.  This  effect  was 


1904.] 


SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS. 


281 


282  BULLETIN  No.  93.  [January, 

plainly  apparent  during  the  growing  season,  the  stronger  growth  and 
darker  color  of  the  plants  treated  with  nitrogen  in  connection  with 
potassium  being  distinctly  discernible.  Of  course  this  result  does  not 
•indicate  that  commercial  nitrogen  could  be  used  with  profit  on  this  soil, 
but  rather  that  the  field  needs  better  drainage  in  such  wet  seasons.  (This 
is  being  arranged  for.)  This  soil  is  naturally  several  times  richer  in 
nitrogen  than  the  most  fertile  soils  in  the  corn-belt.  It  is  also  well  sup- 
plied with  phosphorus.  With  more  perfect  drainage  and  a  plentiful 
supply  of  potassium,  this  soil  is  undoubtedly  capable  of  producing  even 
more  than  65  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre.  (See  results  obtained  from 
the  Momence  field.) 

Plate  2  shows  the  1903  crop  growing  on  the  Tampico  field.  The 
upper  view  shows  Plot  5  (potassium)  on  the  left,  and  Plot  6  (nitrogen 
and  phosphorus)  on  the  right.  The  lower  view  shows  Plot  6  (nitrogen 
and  phosphorus)  on  the  left,  and  Plot  7  (nitrogen  and  potassium)  on  the 
right.  (As  stated  above,  this  soil  naturally  contains  abundance  of  lime, 
a  small  amount  of  which  wras  added  to  these  plots  in  the  beginning  of 
the  experiment  before  the  soil  had  been  analyzed,  not  as  plant  food,  but 
only  to  insure  good  physical  condition.  The  lime  was  not  needed,  how- 
ever, and  it  has  produced  no  effect.) 

MOMENCE  SOIL  EXPERIMENT  FIELD. 

This  is  also  one  of  the  regular  University  of  Illinois  soil  experiment 
fields,  It  is  located  in  the  N.  E.  40  of  S.  E.  J  of  Sec.  6,  Twp.  30  N.,  R. 
11  W.  of  2nd  P.  M.,  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  C.  C.  Porter,  about  three  miles 
south  of  Momence,  Kankakee  County,  Illinois,  on  peaty  swamp  soil 
which  is  underlain  with  impure  limestone  at  a  depth  of  two  to  three  feet, 
with  about  12  inches  of  yellow  sandy  subsoil  between  the  black  soil  and 
the  underlying  rock. 

A  considerable  part  of  the  north  half  of  plots  101  and  102  and  a 
smaller  part  of  the  other  plots  extend  over  somewhat  different  land 
where  the  soil  contains  sufficient  available  potassium  to  produce  a  medium 
crop  of  corn  in  a  good  season.*  The  south  halves  of  the  plots  are  on 
soil  wrhich  is  fairly  representative  of  the  most  non-productive  phase  of 
this  peaty  s\vamp  soil.  There  are  very  large  areas  of  swamp  soil  in  Kan- 
kakee and  adjoining  counties  of  very  low  productive  capacity,  much  of 
which  will  probably  respond  to  the  same  treatment  as  this  field. 
(There  are  some  probable  exceptions,  however,  which  will  be  noted 
below.) 

The  Momence  field  is  laid  out  in  the  same  manner  and  receives  the 
same  kinds  of  treatment  as  the  Tampico  field.  Table*3  shows  the  results 
which  were  obtained  in  1902. 


*In  locating  our  soil  experiment  fields,  we  endeavor  to  select  as  uniform  land  as 
possible,  but  if  there  is  any  apparent  difference  in  the  field  we  always  try  to  put  the 
check  plot  with  no  treatment  on  the  best  soil  in  order  that  the  effect  of  the  treat- 
ment shall  not  be  exaggerated. 


1904.] 


SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS. 


283 


TABLE  3. — CROP  YIELDS  IN  SOIL  EXPERIMENTS;  MOMENCE  FIELD,  1902. 


Soil 

Yields  i 

>er  acre. 

plot 
No. 

Soil  treatment  applied  to  peaty  swamp  soil. 

Corn, 
bushels. 

Stover, 
pounds. 

101 

None  

6  9 

940 

102 

Lime  

5  5 

820 

103 

Lime,  nitrogen  

0 

560 

104 

Lime,  phosphorus  

1.3 

500 

105 

Lime,  potassium  

23.7 

2,720 

106 

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus  

0 

500 

107 

Lime,  nitrogen,  potassium  

19  7 

2,420 

108 

Lime,  phosphorus,  potassium  

32  0 

2,940 

109 

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus,  potassium  . 

25  2 

2,480 

110 

Nitroeen.  phosphorus,  potassium  .  . 

24.1 

2.460 

The  crop  was  injured  very  considerably  during  the  wet  season  of  1902, 
because  of  inadequate  drainage,  a  condition  which  was  corrected  before 
the  1903  crop  was  grown  on  this  field.  Nevertheless  the  effect  of  potas- 
sium on  the  1902  corn  crop  is  very  marked.  Aside  from  the  ends  of 
the  plots  which  occupied  somewhat  higher  ground,  capable  of  producing 
a  medium  crop,  the  five  plots  receiving  no  potassium  produced  practically 
no  ear  corn,  while  the  five  plots  treated  with  potassium  yielded  20  bushels 
or  more  of  corn  per  acre.  Marked  increase  in  the  yield  of  stover  also 
follows  the  application  of  potassium. 

Although  the  season  of  1903  was  also  one  of  abundant  rainfall,  the 
Momence  field  had  been  provided  with  sufficient  drainage  to  prevent 
serious  injury  from  water  as  will  be  seen  from  the  results  which  are  given 

in  Table  4. 

\ 
TABLE  4. — CROP  YIELDS  IN  SOIL  EXPERIMENTS;  MOMENCE  FIELD,  1903. 


Soil 
plot 
No. 

Soil  treatment  applied  to 
peaty  swamp  soil. 

Yields  per  acre. 

Corn,  bushels. 

Stover, 
pounds 
average. 

N   J 
plot. 

S.  * 
plot. 

Aver- 
age. 

101 
102 

103 
104 
105 

106 
107 
108 

109 
110 

None 

29.7 
14.2 

7.2 
9.2 
72.0 

7.7 
79.2 
78.2 

71.5 

77.7 

0 
0 

0 
0 
72.5 

0 
63.0 
68.0 

62.0 
63.0 

14.9 
7.1 

3.6 
4.6 
72.6 

3.9 
71.1 
73.1 

66.7 
70.4 

1,080 
820 

750 
1,040 
3,770 

730 
3,160 
3,380 

3,010 
3.230 

Lime  

Lime,  nitrogen  

Lime,  phosphorus  

Lime,  potassium       .                     ... 

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus  

Lime,  nitrogen,  potassium  

Lime,  phosphorus,  potassium  .... 

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus, 
potassium  

Nitrogen,  phosphorus, 
potassium  .  . 

284  BULLETIN  No.  93.  [January. 

These  results  are  certainly  exceedingly  marked  as  to  the  effect  of 
potassium  in  this  soil.  On  the  south  halves  of  the  plots,  on  the  most 
non-productive  soil,  no  ear  corn  was  produced  on  any  of  the  five  plots 
receiving  no  potassium,  while  the  five  plots  treated  with  potassium 
produced  from  62  to  72  bushels  of  good  sound  corn  per  acre.  On  the 
north  halves  the  potassium  increased  the  yield  from  less  than  ten  bushels 
to  more  than  70  bushels  per  acre.  (The  north  ends  of  plots  101  and  102 
are  not  fairly  comparable  with  the  remaining  plots,  as  will  be  plainly 
seen  from  the  yields  produced.  This  will  be  understood  from  the  pre- 
viously given  explanation.) 

It  is  very  evident  that  potassium  is  the  only  element  of  plant  food 
needed  to  change  this  almost  barren  soil  to  one  of  the  most  productive 
soils  in  the  corn  belt. 

Plates  3,  4,  and  5  show  the  crops  growing  on  the  Momence  field  in 
1903.  Plates  3  and  4  show  Plots  1,  2,  3,  4,  and  5,  in  the  order  given. 

The  upper  view  in  Plate  3  shows  Plot  1,  to  which  no  treatment  was 
applied.  On  the  right,  looking  over  Plots  2,  3,  and  4,  we  see  Plot  5,  to 
which  potassium  was  applied. 

The  lower  view  in  Plate  3  shows  Plot  2,  to  which  lime  only  was  applied. 
On  the  right  we  see  the  good  corn  in  Plot  5,  beyond  plots  3  and  4. 

The  upper  view  in  Plate  4  shows  Plot  3,  to  which  nitrogen  was  applied, 
on  the  right  of  which  is  Plot  4,  with  Plot  5  beyond. 

The  lower  view  of  Plate  4  shows  Plot  4  (phosphorus)  on  the  left,  and 
Plot  5  (potassium)  on  the  right,  where  the  corn  yielded  72  bushels  to  the 
acre. 

The  upper  view  of  Plate  5  shows  Plot  5  (potassium)  on  the  left,  Plot 
6  (nitrogen  and  phosphorus)  in  the  middle,  and  Plot  7  (nitrogen  and 
potassium)  on  the  right.  Potassium  on  Plot  5  made  72  bushels,  and  on 
Plot  7  potassium  with  nitrogen  made  71  bushels  of  good  sound  corn  (80 
pounds  per  bushel),  while  Plot  6  between  those  two  made  less  than  4 
bushels  of  nubbins. 

The  lower  view  in  Plate  5  shows  the  effect  of  potassium  on  buckwheat 
on  the  Momence  field,  potassium  having  been  applied  on  the  right,  and 
nothing  applied  on  the  left. 


1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS. 


285 


H 
o 


> 

a 


286 


BULLETIN  No.  93. 


[January, 


1904.] 


SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS. 


287 


w  ^ 

83 

il 

O 

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288 


BULLETIN  No.  93. 


[January, 


MANITO  SOIL  EXPERIMENT  FIELD. 

This  is  a  co-operative  soil  experiment  field,  located  on  peaty  swamp 
soil  about  one  mile  northeast  of  Manito,  in  Mason  County,  Illinois,  almost 
on  the  line  between  Mason  and  Tazewell  counties.  It  is  on  the  farm  of 
Mr.  James  S.  Pollard,  which  is  operated  by  Mr.  Joseph  Brenner.  The 
soil  is  a  black  peaty  material,  consisting  largely  of  organic  matter.  It  is 
quite  uniform  to  a  depth  of  several  feet.  At  a  depth  of  six  or  eight  feet  (in 
places  twelve  to  fifteen  feet),  the  peaty  material  is  underlain  with  sand. 
The  Manito  experiment  field  contains  ten  one-acre  plots.  The  treat- 
ment indicated  in  Table  5  was  applied  for  the  1902  crop  only,  no  subse- 
quent applications  having  been  made,  although  crops  of  corn  for  the 
two  years,  1902  and  1903,  have  been  harvested,  the  yields  of  corn  obtained 
being  also  given  in  the  table. 

TABLE  5. — CROP  YIELDS  IN  SOIL  EXPERIMENTS;  MANITO  FIELD,  1902  AND  1903. 


Soil 
plot 
No. 

Soil  treatment  applied  to  peaty  swamp  soil. 
(Amounts  per  acre.) 

Corn,  bushels  per  acre 

1902. 

1903. 

1 
2 

3 
4 
5 

6 

7 

8 
9 
10 

None  

10.9 
10.4 

30  4 
30  3 
31.2 

11.1 
13.3     • 

36  8 

26  4 

Xo  reoort 

8.1 
10.3 

32  3 
33  3 
33  7 

11.6 
13.2 

37.3 
25  5 

14.7 

None  

600  Ib.  Kainit  (10%  potassium)  .... 

600  Ib.  Kainit  and  350  Ib.  bone  meal  

200  Ib.  potassium  chlorid  (42%  K)  . 

700  Ib.  common  salt  

700  Ib.  common  salt  *  

600  Ib.  Kainit  (10%  K)  .  . 

300  Ib.  Kainit  (10%  K)  

None  .  . 

A  large  open  ditch  provides  fairly  good  drainage  for  the  swamp  in 
which  the  Manito  field  is  located,  but  the  excessive  rainfall  of  1902  cer- 
tainly injured  the  yield  to  a  considerable  extent.  The  fact  that  no 
further  application  of  potassium  was  made  for  the  second  crop  probabry 
accounts  for  the  comparatively  low  yield  of  1903.  The  effect  of  potassium 
on  this  field  has  been  to  increase  the  yield  of  corn  from  about  10  bushels 
to  more  than  30  bushels  per  acre.  Phosphorus  (in  bone  meal)  applied 
in  addition  to  potassium  (Plot  4),  produced  no  increase  over  potassium 
alone.  The  results  are  practically  the  same  whether  the  potassium  is 
applied  in  the  form  of  potassium  chlorid,  containing  42  percent  of  potas- 
sium, or  as  kainit,  a  crude  mineral  containing  only  10  percent  of  potassium. 
Although  the  application  of  600  pounds  of  kainit  is  not  quite  equivalent 
to  200  pounds  of  potassium  chlorid,  the  kainit  has  given  nearly  as  good 
results  during  the  two  years'  trials.  The  cost  of  600  pounds  of  kainit  is 
about  the  same  as  200  pounds  of  potassium  chlorid.  Of  course  it  is 
somewhat  more  expensive  to  handle  the  heavier  amounts  of  kainit,  and 


1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS.  289 

the  fact  that  200  pounds  of  potassium  chlorid  contain  84  pounds  of  potas- 
sium, while  the  600  pounds  of  kainit  contain  only  60  pounds  of  potassium, 
is  evidence  that  the  effect  of  the  potassium  chlorid  will  be  more  lasting. 
Where  the  application  of  potassium  was  reduced  from  60  pounds  (in  600 
pounds  of  kainit)  to  30  pounds  (in  300  pounds  of  kainit)  the  yield  of 
corn  was  reduced  from  36  to  26  bushels  in  1902,  and  from  37  to  25  bushels 
in  1903.  (See  Plots  8  and  9.)  It  seems  altogether  probable  that  heavier 
applications  of  potassium  (say  200  pounds  of  potassium  chlorid  each 
year)  will  increase  the  yield  of  corn  on  this  soil  to  60  or  70  bushels,  or 
possibly  more,  as  has  been  the  result  on  the  Momence  field.  This  is  to 
be  tried  on  the  Manito  field. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  stalks  for  a  hundred-bushel  crop 
of  corn  require  52  pounds  of  potassium  (beside  that  required  for  the 
root  growth),  while  the  100  bushels  of  grain  will  require  19  pounds.  Of 
course  the  stalks  must  be  grown  before  the  ears  can  be  produced;  and, 
while  there  is  a  strong  natural  tendency  in  corn,  as  in  all  plants,  to  repro- 
duce seed,  yet  it  has  been  shown  by  actual  trial  that  in  such  soil  as  that 
on  the  Tampico  field,  for  example,  which,  without  treatment,  is  incapable 
of  producing  ear  corn,  small  applications  of  potassium  are  practically 
useless,  as  they  only  effect  a  larger  growth  of  stalks,  but  do  not  furnish 
sufficient  potassium  to  enable  those  stalks  to  produce  ears.  This  fact 
was  well  illustrated  on  Mr.  Milligan's  land  adjoining  the  Tampico  field  in 
1903.  Because  of  the  marked  results  produced  by  potassium  on  that 
field  in  1902,  Mr.  Milligan  used  some  potassium  on  his  own  corn  for  1903. 
The  amount  of  potassium  chlorid  which  he  purchased  was  not  sufficient 
to  make  a  heavy  application  (say  200  pounds  per  acre)  to  all  of  the  land 
where  he  wished  to  apply  it.  He  reduced  the  application  to  50  pounds 
of  potassium  chlorid  per  acre  on  some  of  his  land.  As  a  result  he  obtained 
a  largely  increased  growth  of  stalks,  but  still  produced  practically  no 
ear  corn.  On  such  land,  200  pounds  of  potassium  chlorid  is  worth  very 
much  more  when  applied  to  one  acre  than  when  scattered  over  four 
acres. 

The  results  obtained  on  Plots  6  and  7  of  the  Manito  field  prove  con- 
clusively that  common  salt  (sodium  chlorid)  has  no  power  to  take  the 
place  of  potassium  chlorid  (or  other  potassium  salts)  in  the  improvement 
of  these  peaty  swamp  soils.  Plots  1,  2,  6,  7,  and  10,  may  all  be  con- 
sidered as  check  plots.  From  the  yields  obtained  from  these  plots  during 
the  two  years,  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is  some  natural  variation  in  the 
land,  the  yield  increasing  somewhat  as  we  pass  from  Plot  1  to  Plot  10. 
Plots  3  and  8  also  illustrate  this  fact. 

Owing  to  the  more  favorable  season  of  1903  (less  injury  from  water) 
larger  yields  were  produced  in  1903  than  in  1902  on  the  plots  treated 
with  potassium,  although  no  additional  potassium  was  applied  for  the 
1903  crop.  The  one  exception  to  this  rule  is  plot  9,  which  received  only 


290  BULLETIN  No.  93.  [January, 

30  pounds  of  potassium  per  acre,  of  which  too  little  remained  for  the 
1903  crop  to  produce  as  good  a  yield  as  in  1902,  even  though  the  water 
conditions  were  more  favorable  in  1903. 

RESULTS  OF  INVESTIGATIONS  IN  INDIANA  AND  WISCONSIN. 

As  previously  stated  the  Indiana  and  Wisconsin  experiment  sta- 
tions have  reported  some  investigations  of  non-productive  soils,  including 
some  peaty  swamp  soils. 

Bulletin  No.  57  of  the  Indiana  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  on 
"The  Improvement  ofvUnproductive  Black  Soils,"  by  Professor  H.  A. 
Huston,  published  in  1895,  contains  the  following  general  conclusions : 

"The  use  of  straw  or  kainit  has  proved  very  profitable  as  a  means  of 
temporary  improvement  of  such  lands. 

"The  permanent  improvement  of  such  lands  must  be  effected  by  efficient 
drainage." 

In  the  summary  of  Bulletin  No.  95  of  the  Indiana  Station,  which  was 
published  in  1903,  and  which  is  essentially  a  reprint  of  Bulletin  No.  57, 
Professor  Huston  inserts  the  following  additional  conclusion : 

"On  black  lands  containing  considerable  sand  but  not  having  a  high  water 
level,  kainit  and  other  potash  salts  have  proved  very  profitable  fertilizers  for  corn." 

Bulletin  No.  80  of  the  Wisconsin  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  on 
"The  Character  and  Treatment  of  Swamp  or  Humus  Soil/'  by  Professor 
F.  H.  King  and  J.  A.  Jeffrey,  published  in  1900,  contains  the  following 
conclusions : 

"  So  far  as  the  elements  of  plant  food  are  concerned  [thess  soils]  contain  a  higher 
percent  than  most  of  the  best  upland  soils. 

"  But  when  reclaimed  they  are  often  found  relatively  unproductive,  especially 
after  two  or  three  years. 

"  Coarse  farmyard  manure,  in  almost  all  cases,  greatly  improves  even  the  best 
of  these  lands,  enabling  them  to  give  large  yields. 

"  Potassium  carbonate,  sulfate,  and  nitrate,  and  wood  ashes  have  been  found  to 
greatly  improve  these  soils  for  corn.  Kainit  improves  the  yield,  but  to  a  less  degree. 

"  Coarse  litter,  like  straw,  plowed  in,  is  often  very  helpful. 

"  When  undrained  and  kept  in  the  native  wild  grass  and  cut  continuously,  these 
lands  in  some  known  cases  greatly  decrease  in  productiveness,  so  much  so  as  to 
hardly  pay  for  cutting." 

It  is  evident  that  in  the  investigations  above  summarized  no  very 
clear  distinction  i«  made  between  the  very  peaty  swamp  soils  which  are 
exceedingly  deficient  in  the  element  potassium  as  compared  with  normal 
fertile  soils,  and  the  non-productive  "  alkali "  or  "  bogus  "  soils,  which  are 
usually  rich  in  all  elements  of  plant  food,  including  potassium.  These 
different  classes  of  non-productive  soils  are  discussed  in  the  following 
pages. 


1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS.  291 

PLANT  FOOD  IN  DIFFERENT  SOILS.* 

It  is  true  that  plants  are  composed  very  largely  of  the  elements  carbon, 
hydrogen,  and  oxygen,  that  carbon  is  obtained  from  the  inexhaustible 
supply  of  carbon  dioxid  in  the  air,  and  hydrogen  and  oxygen  are  the 
elements  of  which  water  is  formed.  It  is  also  true  that  plants  must  be 
supplied  with  the  elements  calcium,  magnesium,  sulfur,  and  iron,  but 
these  four  elements  are  required  by  plants  in  relatively  small  amounts, 
and  practically  all  soils  are  abundantly  supplied  with  them.  The  other 
three  elements  of  plant  food,  nitrogen,  phosphorus,  and  potassium,  are 
required  by  plants  in  very  considerable  amounts,  and  they  are  present 
in  most  soils  in  limited  quantities. 

Nitrogen  is  a  constituent  of  organic  matter,  consequently,  if  a  soil  is 
rich  in  organic  matter  (humus  or  vegetable  matter),  it  is  also  rich  in 
nitrogen ;  and  if  a  soil  is  poor  in  organic  matter,  it  is  also  poor  in  nitrogen. 
If  more  nitrogen  is  needed  it  can  best  be  obtained  by  growing  leguminous 
crops,  provided  with  the  proper  nitrogen-gathering  bacteria,  which  have 
power  to  obtain  nitrogen  from  the  air. 

Phosphorus  is  also  associated  with  organic  matter  to  some  extent,  so 
that  a  soil  very  rich  in  organic  matter  (as  peaty  soils)  is  not  only  exceed- 
ingly rich  in  nitrogen,  but  it  is  usually  well  supplied  with  phosphorus. 
In  the  light-colored  timber  soils,  and  in  worn  prairie  soils,  especially  those 
of  southern  Illinois,  phosphorus  is  more  or  less  deficient  in  the  soil.  It 
can  be  supplied  very  profitably  in  steamed  bone  meal,  and  probably  in 
ground  rock  phosphate,  also;  but,  as  a  rule,  it  should  be  used  only  in 
connection  with  leguminous  crops  or  farm  manure. 

Potassium  is  commonly,  associated  with  clay,  that  is,  the  true 
sticky,  plastic  clay.  It  is  contained  in  all  ordinary  Illinois  soils,  as  the 
common  prairie  soils,  in  great  abundance  (southern  Illinois  soils  have 
only  a  moderate  supply).  Peaty  soils  not  mixed  with  sticky  clay  are, 
as  a  rule,  very  deficient  in  potassium.  Sand  soils  also  are  usually  poor 
in  potassium.  Sand  soils  are  likewise  commonly  deficient  in  the  other 
elements  of  plant  food,  especially  in  nitrogen.  (Absolutely  pure  sand 
contains  no  plant  food  whatever.) 

With  these  facts  in  mind,  it  is  possible  for  the  farmer  to  estimate 
with  some  degree  of  accuracy  what  will  be  required  to  increase  the  pro- 
ductive capacity  of  the  different  kinds  of  peaty  swamp  soils,  and  whether 
the  treatment  must  be  continued  indefinitely,  year  after  year,  or  whether 
the  soil  is  likely  to  improve,  or  "farm  out,"  after  a  few  years. 


*For  more  complete  information  regarding  the  different  elements  of  plant  food, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  Circular  No.  68,  "  Methods  of  Maintaining  the  Productive 
Capacity  of  Illinois  Soils,"  a  copy  of  which  will  be  sent  upon  request  to  any  one 
interested  in  Illinois  agriculture. 


292  BULLETIN  No.  93.  [January, 

GENERAL  INFORMATION  REGARDING  PEATY  SWAMP  SOILS. 

Peaty  swamp  soils  may  well  be  separated  arbitrarily  into  five  fairly 
distinct  classes: 

1.  Soils  in  which  the  very  peaty  material  extends  to  a  depth  of  three 
or  four  feet  at  least  and  often  to  much  greater  depths. 

2.  Soils  with  one  to  three  feet  of  peaty  material  resting  on  deep 
sand. 

3.  Soils  with  one  to  three  feet  of  peaty  material  resting  on  rock, 
usually  with  some  inches  of  sandy  material  between  the  two. 

4.  Soils  with  six  inches  to  three  feet  of  peaty  material  resting  on  a 
clayey  subsoil. 

5.  Soils  with  only  a  few  inches  of  peaty  material  resting  on  sand. 

If  the  soil  has  one  to  three  feet  of  very  peaty  material  and  this  is 
underlain  with  a  deep  sand  subsoil  or  with  sand  resting  on  rock,  or  if 
the  peaty  soil  itself  is  very  deep  (3  or  4  feet  or  more),  then  the  land  is 
almost  certainly  deficient  in  potassium,  and  the  chief  part  of  the  potas- 
sium required  to  produce  crops  must  always  be  supplied,  either  in  the 
form  of  commercial  potassium  salts  or  in  farm  manure,  because  of  the 
simple  fact  that  it  cannot  be  furnished  by  either  the  soil  or  subsoil  in 
sufficient  quantities  for  continuous  large  crops.  As  the  one  to  three  feet 
of  peaty  material  is  exceedingly  rich  in  organic  matter,  and  is  much 
richer  in  nitrogen,  and  usually  somewhat  better  supplied  with  phosphorus, 
than  the  most  fertile  normal  soils  in  the  corn-belt,  that  land  is  not  in  need 
of  either  of  those  elements,  and  probably  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  grow 
clover  or  to  apply  phosphorus  on  such  soils  for  many  years.  Indeed,  it 
seems  altogether  likely  that  the  most  profitable  system  of  farming  for 
such  soils  is  almost  continuous  corn,  unless  some  rotation  should  become 
necessary  because  of  corn  insects.  As  farm  manure  contains  about  as 
much  nitrogen  as  potassium,  and  also  some  phosphorus,  it  is  better  farm 
practice  to  use  farm  manure  on  sandy  land,  for  example,  which  is  usually 
somewhat  deficient  in  both  phosphorus  and  potassium,  and  very  greatly 
in  need  of  nitrogen  and  organic  matter,  than  it  is  to  use  the  manure  on 
this  peaty  soil  which  needs  only  potassium.  Ordinary  farm  manure 
contains  about  10  pounds  of  potassium  in  a  ton,  and  this  is  not  very 
readily  available,  excepting  in  such  kinds  as  horse  manure  which  decom- 
pose quickly. 

If  one  has  abundance  of  farm  manure,  and  does  not  need  to  use  it 
all  on  lighter  soils,  of  course,  it  should  be  applied  to  the  peaty  soils  rather 
than  not  be  used  at  all;  but  under  the  ordinary  farm  conditions,  where 
the  supply  of  farm  manure  is  very  limited,  it  is  good  practice  to  purchase 
commercial  potassium  for  such  peaty  lands  as  need  it. 

As  stated  above,  there  are  some  peaty  soils  which  are  underlain  with 
clay  subsoils  lying  from  6  inches  to  three  feet  below  the  surface.  Such 


1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS.  293 

subsoils  almost  invariably  contain  abundance  of  potassium.  Some  of 
these  are  the  soils  which  will  ultimately  "farm  out,"  to  use  a  local  phrase, 
which  means  that  with  continued  farming  the  soil  gradually  improves 
until  it  finally  becomes  a  normally  fertile  soil,  even  without  any  special 
treatment.  The  time  required  for  this  improvement  will  depend  upon  the 
condition  and  method  of  management  of  the  soil.  The  desired  result  is 
usually  accomplished  by  getting  some  of  the  clayey  subsoil  mixed  with 
the  more  peaty  top  soil.  Sometimes  this  can  be  done  by  deeper  plowing; 
sometimes  by  the  tramping  of  live  stock,  where  the  subsoil  is  near  the 
surface.  Some  soils  of  this  class  are  temporarily  benefitad  very  mark- 
edly by  even  light  applications  of  potassium,  either  in  farm  manure 
(preferably  horse  manure)  or  in  commercial  form.  This  will  furnish 
sufficient  potassium  to  give  the  corn  a  start,  and  the  corn  roots  will  thus 
be  enabled  to  grow  sufficiently  to  reach  the  clayey  subsoil  which  will 
then  furnish  abundance  of  potassium  for  a  large  crop.  This  may  last  for 
a  year  or  two  only,  when  it  will  be  found  necessary  to  supply  more  potas- 
sium to  the  top  soil;  or,  the  one  or  two  years'  cropping  and  cultivation 
may  result  in  the  compacting  of  the  surface  soil,  the  mixing  of  the  clayey 
subsoil  with  the  peaty  top  soil,  or  the  bringing  up  of  sufficient  potassium 
from  the  subsoil  into  the  top  soil  by  the  roots  of  corn  and  weeds  and  the 
corn-stalks  (which,  it  will  be  remembered,  are  quite  rich  in  potassium, 
and  which  are  usually  either  burned  or  plowed  under)  so  that  no  further 
application  of  potassium  may  be  necessary.  Thus,  the  so-called  "farm- 
ing out"  process  may  be  hastened  very  materially,  and  with  decided 
profit  on  some  soils,  by  applying  potassium  in  some  form,  especially  where 
the  peaty  top  soil  is  too  deep  to  admit  of  reaching  the  clayey  subsoil  with 
the  plow. 

In  its  original  condition  this  type  of  peaty  land  (that  is,  a  peaty  top 
soil  underlain  with  a  clay  subsoil),  contains  abundance  of  all  of  the 
elements  of  plant  food;  but  the  difficulty  is  that  the  nitrogen  is  nearly 
all  in  the  top  soil,  while  the  potassium  is  very  largely  in  the  subsoil  (both 
soil  and  subsoil  commonly  contain  enough  phosphorus),  and  the  chief 
problem  with  these  particular  soils  is  to  bring  these  elements  together  in 
the  top  soil  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the  growing  crop,  especially  during 
its  earlier  growth  before  its  roots  reach  the  lower  stratum. 

Very  satisfactory  results  have  been  obtained  upon  this  particular 
kind  of  soil,  in  Ford  County,  Illinois,  simply  by  means  of  very  deep  plow- 
ing. Mr.  S.  K.  Marston  has  a  farm  in  what  is  called  "Vermilion  Swamp," 
in  northern  Ford  County.  A  careful  examination  was  made  of  land  in 
this  swamp  some  two  years  ago.  The  soil  produced  very  poor  crops  of 
corn,  but  the  clayey  subsoil  was  found  to  be  within  the  reach  of  the  plow, 
and  it  was  then  agreed  writh  Mr.  Marston  that  a  trial  of  deep  plowing 
should  be  made,  and  the  result  has  been  very  successful,  as  will  be  seen 
from  the  following  extracts  from  a  letter  recently  received  from  Mr. 
Marston : 


294  BULLETIN  No.  93.  [January, 

"  ONARGA,  ILL.,  October  31,  1903. 
"  DR.  C.  G.  HOPKINS, 

"DEAR  SIR: 

"  I  went  to  my  farm  yesterday  to  ascertain  the  effect  of  the  fertilizers  that  I  had 
used.  My  tenant  says  he  can  see  no  perceptible  effect.  But  I  can  say  that  deep 
plowing  has  done  the  business.  I  saw  yesterday  some  of  the  finest,  soundest, 
heaviest  corn  I  ever  saw,  and  the  yield  sixty  bushels  to  the  acre. 

"My  tenant  is  a  thorough  convert  to  deep  plowing.  His  plowing  this  year  is 
nearly  a  foot  deep.  We  have  decided  that  the  soil  contains  all  necessary  constitu- 
ents. Deep  plowing  seems  to  be  a  great  success. 

"  Respectfully, 

"  S.  K.  MARSTON." 

There  is  still  another  kind  of  peaty  swamp  land  which  must  be  men- 
tioned. This  is  land  whose  soil  consists  of  only  a  few  inches  of  peaty 
material,  which  is  underlain  by  sand  to  a  depth  of  several  feet.  We 
have  found  quite  extensive  areas  of  this  type  of  soil,  especially  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  Kankakee  County.  The  sandy  subsoil  will  usually 
furnish  somewhat  more  of  available  potassium  than  the  peaty  material 
will,  and  the  sand,  being  near  the  surface,  becomes  mixed  with  the  peaty 
material  by  plowing  and  cultivation,  so  that  this  soil  may  produce  fair 
crops  for  a  few  years.  But  after  the  rather  small  amount  of  organic 
matter  becomes  reduced  by  cultivation,  this  type  of  soil  is  but  little 
different  from  ordinary  sand  soil,  which  is  usually  very  poor  in  nitrogen 
and  rather  low  in  all  elements  of  plant  food.  If  the  sand  contains  some 
clay,  which  is  quite  frequently  the  case,  it  will  be  better  supplied  with 
potassium  than  with  the  other  elements.  As  a  rule  it  is  most  deficient 
in  nitrogen. 

It  will  be  of  interest  and  value  to  farmers  who  may  have  such  very 
sandy  swamp  soils  to  know  of  the  results  which  we  have  obtained  from 
our  "complete  fertility  tests"  on  the  sand  ridge  soil  in  Tazewell  County. 

GREEN  VALLEY  SOIL  EXPERIMENT  FIELD. 

This  is  one  of  the  regular  University  of  Illinois  soil  experiment  fields. 
It  is  located  in  the  S.  W.  10  of  N.  W.  40  of  N.  W.  ±  of  Sec.  3,  Twp.  22 
N.,  R.  5  W.  of  3rd  P.  M.,  about  two  miles  southwest  of  Green  Valley, 
Tazewell  County,  Illinois,  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  J.  C.  Drake.  The  soil  is 
typical  of  the  cultivated  sand  ridge  soil,  and  fairly  represents  veiy 
large  areas  of  sandy  land,  not  only  in  Tazewell  and  Mason  counties, 
but  also  in  Whiteside  and  adjoining  counties,  Kankakee  and  adjoining 
counties,  and  in  smaller  areas  in  many  other  parts  of  Illinois. 

The  Green  Valley  field  contains  a  series  of  ten  tenth-acre  plots  in 
the  "complete  fertility  tests,"  and  also  three  series  of  ten  plots  each  in 
the  three-year  rotation  experiments.  As  the  experiments  have  been  in 
progress  only  two  years,  no  definite  conclusions  can  be  drawn  from  the 
rotation  plots,  but  the  "complete  fertility  tests,"  which  are  designed  to 
furnish  information  as  quickly  as  possible  (commercial  nitrogen  being 
used  instead  of  waiting  for  legumes  to  grow  as  we  do  in  the  rotations), 


1904.] 


SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS. 


295 


have  already  furnished  some  marked  results,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference 
to  Table  6.  To  those  who  are  familiar  with  these  sand  ridge  soils,  the 
fact  will  be  appreciated  that  it  is  practically  impossible  to  find  ten  acres 
of  this  land  with  even  approximately  uniform  soil.  This  experiment 
field  is  about  as  uniform  for  this  land  as  can  well  be  found;  but  in  each 
series  there  are  two  or  three  plots  which  are  markedly  better  land  than 
the  remainder  of  the  series.  This  better  soil  occupies  somewhat  lower 
lying  land,  which  has  received  some  wash  from  the  higher  land, 
and  is  consequently  richer,  especially  in  organic  matter  and  nitrogen, 
and  more  productive  than  the  average  sand  soil.  As  in  all  of  our  soil 
experiment  fields,  wherever  there  is  noticeable  variation  in  the  soil,  the 
check  plot,  that  is,  the  plot  receiving  no  treatment,  is  located  on  the 
best  land  (as  in  the  Momence  field,  for  example),  in  order  that  the  effects 
which  may  be  produced  by  the  different  kinds  of  soil  treatment  shall  never 
be  exaggerated,  even  though  they  may  sometimes  be  minimized. 

For  comparative  purposes  the  results  obtained  on  Plots  1  and  2  have 
practically  no  value,  and  they  are  ignored  in  computing  the  averages 
given  in  the  last  three  lines  in  Table  6.  It  is  of  interest  to  note,  how- 
ever, that  the  yield. of  corn  on  those  two  plots  markedly  decreased  from 
1902  to  1903,  while  every  plot  receiving  nitrogen  with  either  phosphorus 
•  or  potassium,  or  both,  gave  a  higher  yield  in  1903. 

TABLE  6. — CROP  YIELDS  IN  SOIL  EXPERIMENTS;  GREEN  VALLEY  FIELD,  1902  AND 

1903. 


Soil 
plot 
No. 

Soil  treatment  applied  to 
sand  soil. 

Yields  per  acre. 

Corn,  bushels. 

Stover,  pounds. 

1902. 

1903. 

1902. 

1903. 

401 
402 

403 
404 
405 
406 
407 
408 

409 

410 

None  

68.7 
68.2* 

68.6 

30.3 
23.1 
57.4 
70.0 

49.8 

69.5 
57.2 

56.3 
42.0* 

65.4 

24.9 
20.1 
69.8 
72.9 

36.6 

69.8 
66.1 

3,660 

2,820* 

2,880 
1,940 
1,920 
3,080 
3,620 
3,180 

3,580 
3,520 

3,860 
3,460* 

4,180 
3,000 
3,080 
4,400 
4,940 
3,820 

4,680 
4,540 

Lime  

Lime,  nitrogen  

Lime,  phosphorus  

Lime,  potassium  

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus  

Lime,  nitrogen,  potassium  

Lime,  phosphorus,  potassium  .... 

Lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus, 
potassium  

Nitrogen,  phosphorus, 
potassium  

L  -(-  N,  gain  for  nitrogen       .    .    . 

.4* 
27.1 
46.9 
19.7 

23.4* 
44.9 
52.8 
30.2 

60* 
1,140 
1,700 
400 

720* 
1,400 
1,860 
860 

LP  -f-  N,  gain  for  nitrogen    .    .    . 

LK  -f-  N,  gain  for  nitrogen  . 

LPK  -f-  N,  gain  for  nitrogen  .... 

Average  gain  for  nitrogen  

31.2 
5.0 
11.0 

42.6 
7.0 
7.4 

1,080 
473 

827 

1,373 
233 
620 

Average  gain  for  phosphorus   .... 
Average  gain  for  potassium  

*Results    based    on    Plots    1    and  2  are  omitted  in  the  averages  for  reasons 
explained  in  the  text. 


296  BULLETIN  No.  93.  [January, 

After  discarding  Plots  1  and  2,  we  still  have  a  triplicate  test  as  to 
the  effect  of  each  of  the  elements,  nitrogen,  phosphorus,  and  potassium. 
Thus,  in  1902,  Plot  4  (lime  and  phosphorus),  produced  30  bushels  of  corn, 
while  Plot  6  (lime,  nitrogen,  and  phosphorus),  produced  57  bushels,  a 
gain  of  27  bushels  for  nitrogen.  Plot  5  (lime  and  potassium)  produced 
23  bushels,  while  Plot  7  (lime,  nitrogen,  potassium),  produced  70  bush- 
els, a  gain  of  47  bushels  for  nitrogen.  Plot  8  (lime  phosphorus,  potas- 
sium), produced  49  bushels,  while  Plot  9  (lime,  nitrogen,  phosphorus, 
potassium)  produced  69  bushels,  a  gain  of  20  bushels  for  nitrogen,  the 
average  of  these  three  different  tests  being  31  bushels  gain  for  nitrogen,  as 
recorded  under  "average  gain  for  nitrogen."  By  similar  methods  it 
is  found  that,  in  1903,  the  average  increase  in  yield  produced  by  nitrogen 
was  42.6  bushels  while  phosphorus  produced  an  average  increase  of  5 
bushels  in  1902  and  7  bushels  in  1903,  and  potassium  an  increase  of  11 
bushels  in  1902  and  7.4  bushels  in  1903. 

No  one  should  conclude  from  these  results  that  the  purchase  of  com- 
mercial nitrogen  for  use  on  these  sand  soils  is  likely  to  be  profitable. 
The  annual  application  of  nitrogen  which  we  have  made  is  100  pounds 
per  acre  (about  800  pounds  of  dried  blood),  which  is  barely  sufficient 
for  a  crop  of  70  bushels  (grain  and  stover).  This  amount  of  nitrogen 
costs  $15.00  in  the  market.  At  30  cents  a  bushel,  it  would  require  45 
bushels  of  corn  to  pay  for  the  original  cost  of  the  nitrogen.  What  these 
experiments  teach,  and  that  very  emphatically,  is  the  very  great  impor- 
tance of  growing  legumes,  or  using  farm  manure,  or  both,  on  this  sand 
soil.  Although  clover  does  not  grow  well  on  this  soil,  as  a  rule,  we  now 
have  conclusive  evidence  from  our  rotation  experiments,  and  from  nu- 
merous trials  which  different  farmers  have  been  induced  to  make,  that 
cowpeas  are  well  adapted  to  this  soil,  and  that  its  productive  capacity 
can  be  very  greatly  increased  by  means  of  cowpeas  alone. 

Further  investigation  is  required  to  determine  whether  lime,  phos- 
phorus, or  potassium  can  be  applied  to  this  soil  with  profit.  Certainly 
they  should  not  be  used  extensively  until  the  possibilities  of  cowpeas, 
soy  beans,  vetch,  or  other  legumes  are  better  known.  There  is  reason 
to  believe  that  alfalfa  will  do  well  on  this  soil  if  it  is  once  well  started, 
as  it  probably  can  be  by  using  farm  manure  and  turning  under  cowpeas, 
perhaps  with  the  addition  of  one  or  two  tons  per  acre  of  ground  limestone. 
It  is  strongly  recommended  that  such  trials  be  made  with  alfalfa  (on  a 
small  scale  at  first),  providing  it  with  the  best  possible  conditions,  includ- 
ing a  supply  of  the  alfalfa  bacteria,  and,  if  necessary,  phosphorus  and 
potassium. 

It  is  believed  that  this  information  regarding  sand  ridge  soils  can  be 
applied  with  marked  advantage  to  very  sandy  swamp  soils,  especially 
where  the  original  peaty  material  was  confined  to  a  few  inches  of  top 
soil  which  has  been  worn  out  or  destroyed  by  cultivation. 


1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS.  297 

SOURCES  AND  USE  OF  POTASSIUM. 

From  the  results  given  in  the  preceding  pages,  the  fact  will  be  appre- 
ciated that  the  element  potassium  is  a  commodity  of  value,  especially 
for  the  farmer  who  has  to  deal  with  peaty  swamp  soils'.  The  commer- 
cial value  of  potassium  is  about  6  cents  a  pound  for  the  element  in  sol- 
uble form.  There  are  three  common  forms  of  potassium  on  the  market : 
Potassium  chlorid,  which  contains  about  42  percent  of  potassium; 
potassium  sulfate,  containing  40  percent  of  potassium;  and  kainit,  a 
crude  mineral,  containing  only  10  percent  of  potassium.  Potassium  chlo- 
rid is  frequently,  but  very  incorrectly,  called  "muriate  of  potash." 
Potassium  chlorid  contains  the  two  elements,  potassium  and  chlorin, 
as  the  name  indicates.  The  word  "muriate"  has  no  meaning  except 
that  the  ending,  ate,  indicates  that  the  compound  contains  oxygen,  which 
is  not  the  case.  "Potash"  is  a  compound  of  potassium  and  oxygen, 
which  is  not  contained  in  potassium  chlorid.  It  is  certainly  better  for 
the  farmer  to  say  potassium  and  potassium  chlorid  and  be  correct  and 
intelligent  about  it  than  to  say  "potash"  and  "muriate  of  potash,"  and 
be  confused  and  ignorant  as  to  the  nature  of  the  compound. 

It  should  be  understood  that  the  law  of  Illinois  requires  that  every 
bag  of  potassium  fertilizer  sold  in  the  state  shall  bear  a  printed  label 
stating  the  percentage  of  the  element  potassium  which  the  material  con- 
tains, as  well  as  the  total  number  of  pounds  of  material  contained  in  the 
bag. 

If  a  bag  is  marked  "200  pounds,"  and  the  label  "42  to  44  percent 
potassium,"  this  means  that  the  200  pounds  of  material  contains  about 
42  percent  (or  42  pounds  in  100  pounds)  of  the  element  potassium,  which 
would  make  84  pounds  of  potassium  in  the  bag,  or  840  pounds  in  a  ton, 
which,  at  6  cents  a  pound,  would  make  the  salt  worth  $50.40  a  ton. 

If  the  bag  is  marked  "200  pounds"  and  the  label  "10  to  11  percent 
potassium,"  this  means  that  the  bag  contains  about  20  pounds  of  the 
element  potassium,  which  would  make  200  pounds  of  potassium  in  a 
ton.  At  6  cents  a  pound  for  potassium,  this  material  would  be  worth 
$12  a  ton. 

It  is  true  that  fertilizer  dealers  frequently  print  on  the  bag  the  equiv- 
alent percentages  of  "-potash,"  "muriate  of  potash,"  "sulfate  of  potash," 
etc.,  the  chief  effect  of  which  is  to  make  "big  figures"  and  confuse  the 
purchaser,  but  any  farmer  can  understand  the  matter  of  buying  potas- 
sium if  he  will  look  for  the  percentage  of  potassium.  This  is  the  number 
of  pounds  of  potassium  contained  in  100  pounds  of  the  material.  A 
ton  would  contain  20  times  as  much  potassium,  and  this  is  worth  6  cents 
a  pound  in  Chicago. 

It  is  understood  that  Armour  Fertilizers  Works,  Union  Stock  Yards, 
Chicago,  A.  Smith  &  Brother,  Tampico,  Whiteside  County,  Illinois,  and 
Chas.  H.  Chridy,  Havana,  Mason  County,  Illinois,  are  taking  out  licenses 


298  BULLETIN  No    93.  [January, 

to  sell  potassium  chlorid,  and  possibly  kainit.  Armour  Fertilizers  Works 
quote  a  price  of  $50  a  ton  for  potassium  chlorid  and  $15  a  ton  for  kainit, 
for  ton  lots  in  Chicago,  or  for  carload  lots  delivered  to  any  point  in  Illi- 
nois. At  these  prices  potassium  costs  6  cents  a  pound  in  potassium 
chlorid,  and  7£  cents  a  pound  in  kainit.  A  ton  of  potassium  chlorid 
contains  840  pounds  of  the  element  potassium,  while  a  ton  of  kainit 
contains  only  200  pounds  of  potassium. 

When  we  remember  that  a  hundred-bushel  crop  of  corn  contains  71 
pounds  of  potassium  (19  in  the  grain  and  52  in  the  stover)  besides  that 
contained  in  the  roots,  it  will  be  seen  that  200  pounds  of  potassium 
chlorid  (84  pounds  of  the  element)  will  be  barely  sufficient  for  the  first 
crop.  If,  however,  only  the  ear  corn  is  removed  from  the  land,  the  stalks 
being  pastured  and  plowed  under,  only  about  20  pounds  of  potassium 
are  actually  removed  from  the  soil  each  year,  even  with  a  very  large 
crop,  the  larger  part  of  the  potassium  being  thus  left  for  the  benefit  of  suc- 
ceeding crops.  Of  course  the  potassium  in  the  stalks  is  much  less  readily 
available  than  that  in  potassium  chlorid.  Nevertheless,  as  the  stalks 
decay,  the  potassium  will  gradually  become  available.  If  the  stalks  are 
burned,  the  potassium  remains  in  the  ashes,  but  usually  these  are  left 
in  windrows,  and  consequently  not  well  distributed  for  the  next  crop. 

Farm  manure  contains  about  10  pounds  of  potassium  in  a  ton,  but 
most  farm  manure  decays  slowly,  a  fact  which  is  evidenced  by  the  last- 
ing effect  of  manure,  its  value  being  commonly  greater  for  the  second 
crop  than  for  the  first  after  its  application,  while  many  succeeding  crops 
may  show  its  effect.  Horse  manure  decays  much  more  quickly  than 
cattle  manure,  and  consequently  the"  potassium  in  horse  manure  is  quite 
readily  available.  The  potassium  in  ordinary  manure  and  in  corn  stalks 
is  probably  not  worth  more  than  1^  or  2  cents  a  pound,  as  compared  with 
6  cents  a  pound  for  soluble  potassium.  On  this  basis,  for  use  on  peaty 
swamp  soils,  rich  in  organic  matter,  nitrogen,  and  phosphorus,  ordinary 
farm  manure  is  worth  about  20  cents  a  ton  when  potassium  chlorid  is 
worth  $50  a  ton.  It  should  not  be  forgotten  that  one  ton  of  potassium 
chlorid  contains  as  much  potassium  as  84  tons  of  average  fresh  farm 
manure.  Manure  would  be  worth  only  60  cents  a  ton  for  potassium  if 
the  potassium  were  all  readily  available. 

It  is  certain  that  if  we  are  raising  corn  on  peaty  swamp  soil,  rich 
in  everything  except  potassium,  and  if  only  about  one-fifth  of  the  potas- 
sium absolutely  required  to  make  a  crop  is  actually  removed  in  the  ear 
corn,  it  is  very  unscientific  and  very  poor  farm  practice  to  be  stingy  with 
the  potassium  which  we  supply.  On  such  soils  as  those  on  which  our 
experiment  fields  are  located  at  Tampico,  Momence,  and  Manito,  not  less 
than  200  pounds  of  potassium  chlorid  per  annum  should  be  applied  for 
the  first  one  or  two  years.  After  that,  if  the  stalks  are  not  removed  from 
the  land,  probably  100  pounds  a  year  will  be  sufficient,  and  perhaps 


1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS.  299 

this  can  finally  be  reduced  to  50  pounds  a  year,  as  this  would  furnish 
21  pounds  of  potassium  a  year,  which  is  slightly  more  than  would  be  re- 
moved in  one  hundred  bushels  of  corn. 

It  is  well  known  that  in  ordinary  soils  potassium  applied  in  soluble 
form  is  not  lost  by  leaching,  and  it  is  evident  from  the  experiments  re- 
ported in  this  bulletin,  especially  those  on  the  Manito  Field,  that  peaty 
soil  also  has  some  power  to  fix  and  hold  potassium  from  one  year  to 
another,  even  during  seasons  of  abundant  rainfall. 

METHODS  OF  APPLYING  POTASSIUM  SALTS  TO  THE  LAND. 

Potassium  salts  may  be  applied  in  the  fall  or  spring,  but  preferably 
at  least  one  or  two  weeks  before  the  corn  is  planted.  The  material 
should  never  be  applied  in  the  hill  with  corn,  for  the  reason  that  it  may 
destroy  the  germinating  power  of  the  seed  or  injure  the  young  plant, 
and  also  because  the  roots  of  the  corn  plant  do  not  stay  in  the  hill,  but 
they  grow  out  through  the  soil  in  all  directions,  absorbing  moisture  and 
plant  food.  Corn  fertilized  in  the  hill,  if  the  seed  or  young  plants  are  not 
injured,  frequently  makes  an  abnormally  strong  growth  for  a  few  weeks, 
and  later  in  the  season  suffers  from  dry  weather  more  than  ordinary 
corn,  whose  roots  have  developed  more  normally. 

Potassium  or  other  fertilizing  material  should  be  applied  broadcast 
or  in  narrow  drills,  as  a  general  rule.  Any  salt  of  potassium  may  be 
applied  easily  and  quickly  by  hand,  sowing  or  scattering  it  from  the 
wagon.  One  farmer  in  Whiteside  County  reports  having  applied  100 
pounds  to  the  acre  over  22  acres  of  land  in  less  than  three-quarters  of 
a  day,  a  boy  being  provided  to  drive  the  team.  Sowing  potassium  chlorid 
by  hand  is  less  difficult  than  sowing  wheat  or  oats  by  hand,  because 
of  the  necessity  of  securing  a  uniform  stand  of  wheat  or  oats,  while  it 
would  matter  but  little  if  there  should  be  a  few  square  feet  now  and  then 
which  received  no  potassium.  It  passes  into  solution  before  it  becomes 
fixed  in  the  soil,  and  will  thus  be  distributed  somewhat,  and  the  subse- 
quent preparation  of  the  seed  bed  and  the  cultivation  of  the  corn  will 
tend  to  mix  it  more  uniformly  with  the  soil. 

An  end  gate  seeder  is  a  very  good  implement  for  applying  potassium 
salts.  Probably  most  farmers  could  apply  the  material  about  as  rapidly 
and  more  uniformly  with  an  end  gate  seeder  than  by  hand. 

It  is  good  practice  to  apply  the  potassium  after  plowing  and  then  to 
mix  it  with  the  soil  by  disking,  harrowing,  etc.,  in  the  usual  preparation 
of  the  seed  bed.  It  should  not  be  applied  when  the  ground  is  frozen  if 
there  is  likely  to  be  any  overflow  or  surface  drainage  before  the  potassium 
salt  dissolves  and  soaks  into  the  soil. 


300  BULLETIN  No.  93.  [January, 

REPORTS  FROM  FARMERS  USING  POTASSIUM  ON  PEATY  SWAMP  SOILS. 

Several  farmers  are  using  potassium  on  peaty  soils  near  Manito, 
both  in  Mason  County  and  in  Tazewell  County.  Most  of  them  use  kainit, 
because  of  its  low  price  per  ton.  (Potassium  chlorid  is  really  much 
cheaper.)  About  300  pounds  of  kainit  (30  pounds  of  potassium)  is  the 
usual  application.  This  increases  the  yield  sufficiently  so  that  the  farm- 
ing is  not  done  at  a  loss,  but  the  yield  rarely  exceeds  half  a  crop;  and 
when  we  consider  that  this  peaty  swamp  soil  is  one  of  the  richest  soils  in 
the  state  in  the  element  phosphorus,  and  by  far  the  richest  in  nitrogen, 
there  is  no  apparent  reason  why  this  soil  should  not  produce  75  to  100 
bushels  of  corn  if  sufficient  potassium  is  provided.  A  considerable  number 
of  farmers  near  Tampico  have  made  some  use  of  potassium  during  the 
past  season,  and  in  all  cases  I  think  they  have  used  high  grade  material ; 
that  is,  potassium  chlorid  or  potassium  sulfate  (the  sulfate  is  slightly 
more  expensive  than  the  chlorid.) 

As  a  rule,  through  careless  oversight  or  thoughtlessness,  farmers  do 
not  have  check  plots.  Too  frequently  they  do  not  consider  that  abso- 
lute knowledge  has  a  high  money  value  in  farming  as  well  as  in  other 
kinds  of  business.  It  is  a  simple  matter  to  leave  a  two-rod  strip  of  aver- 
age land  across  the  field,  taking  care  that  no  potassium  is  applied  to  this 
strip.  It  is  true  that  the  yield  of  corn  will  be  lower  on  this  strip  than 
where  potassium  is  applied,  but  it  will  furnish  a  direct  comparison  as  to 
the  effect  of  the  potassium,  and  this  knowledge  may  be  worth  many 
times  the  loss  in  yield  as  a  guide  in  subsequent  years.  This  check  strip 
should  be  left  untreated  for  two  or  three  years  at  least. 

During  the  season  of  1903  the  writer  visited  several  fields  in  White- 
side  County  where  potassium  chlorid  (or  sulfate)  had  been  applied  for 
corn.  By  comparing  the  corn  on  these  fields  with  corn  on  adjoining 
farms  or  fields  where  no  potassium  had  been  used,  very  marked  effects 
were  commonly  apparent. 

Under  date  of  Nov.  6,  1903,  Mr.  J.  H.  Milligan,  of  Tampico,  writes: 

"  Mr.  Wheelock's  corn  is  making  from  65  to  70  bushels  per  acre.  This  is  about 
30  to  35  bushels  net  for  potassium. 

"  Mr.  Cortes  applied  potassium  (chlorid  or  sulfate)  at  the  rates  of  40  pounds, 
60  pounds,  and  100  pounds  per  acre.  The  40  pounds  gave  no  result,  the  60  pounds 
better  growth,  the  100  pounds  makes  him  corn  yielding  50  bushels  per  acre.  He 
applied  in  the  field  on  good  and  bad  spots  alike.  He  says  where  he  applied  100 
pounds  to  the  acre,  the  corn  grew  and  yields  all  about  alike,  showing  no  bad  spots 
in  growth  or  yield.  He  thinks  the  potassium  has  made  50  bushels  net  on  all  bad 
spots." 

Under  date  of  Nov.  3,  1903,  Dr.  J.  H.  Mosher,  of  Prophetstown, 
Whiteside  County,  writes : 

"  In  reply  to  yours,  would  say  I  used  muriate  of  potash  of  Armour  &  Co.  I  paid" 
$56  a  ton.  I  don't  know  the  percent  of  potassium.  Tenant  applied  100  to  125 


1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS.  301 

pounds  per  acre  broadcast.  Where  applied  the  yield  is  increased  30  bushels  per 
acre — from  20  to  50.  Tenant  says  in  spots  of  an  acre  or  so  it  doesn't  show  much 
effect.  There  may  be  some  other  trouble  with  that  land." 

"ALKALI"  SOILS. 

It  should  be  understood  that  the  peaty  swamp  soils  reported  in  this 
bulletin  are  not  the  same  as  the  so-called  "alkali"  or  "bogus"  soils.  These 
"alkali"  spots  are  very  numerous  in  central  and  northern  Illinois.  They 
usually  occur  in  the  midst  of  the  very  best  farming  lands.  They  vary 
in  size  from  a  few  square  rods  to  several  acres.  They  are  being  inves- 
tigated, and  some  information  regarding  them  has  already  been  obtained, 
and  it  seems  appropriate  that  a  brief  preliminary  report  regarding  these 
"alkali"  spots  should  be  made  in  this  bulletin,  but  this  report  must  be 
considered  as  tentative  and  suggestive  and  not  conclusive.  Further  in- 
vestigation is  needed  before  complete  or  definite  information  regarding 
these  soils  can  be  obtained. 

The  most  common  kind  of  so-called  "alkali"  spot  which  we  have  found 
does  contain  alkali,  and  the  soil  is  not  improperly  called  alkali  soil.  The 
alkali,  however,  is  not  sodium  carbonate,  the  ordinary  strong  alkali  of 
the  soils  of  arid  countries,  but  it  is  magnesium  carbonate,  a  mild  alkali. 
The  magnesium  carbonate  is  usually  associated  with  much  larger  quan- 
tities of  calcium  carbonate  (limestone  is  calcium  carbonate).  Although 
magnesium  is  one  of  the  essential  elements  of  plant  food,  yet  an  excessive 
amount  of  magnesium  carbonate  and  bicarbonate  becomes  poisonous  to 
plants,  especially  to  corn  and  millet. 

Usually  the  magnesium  carbonate  is  more  concentrated  in  the  sub- 
soil than  in  the  surface,  and  if  we  can  provide  perfect  underdrainage 
and  prevent  so  far  as  possible  the  magnesium  carbonate  and  more  sol- 
uble bicarbonate  from  rising  to  the  surface,  and  also  provide  abundance 
of  plant  food  in  the  surface  soil  so  that  the  corn  roots  are  not  required 
to  live  in  the  subsoil,  these  alkali  soils  can  be  made  to  grow  good  corn. 
In  some  cases  applications  of  potassium  salts  may  prove  beneficial, 
but  as  a  rule  the  most  practical  method  for  improving  these  soils  is  to 
provide  good,  deep  underdrainage  and  then  plow  under  coarse  organic 
matter,  such  as  straw,  coarse  manure,  green  oats,  weeds,  etc.  This  ma- 
terial helps  the  drainage,  tends  to  prevent  the  rise  of  the  alkali  by  retard- 
ing surface  evaporation,  and  as  it  decays  it  liberates  plant  food  in  the  sur- 
face soil,  and  it  may  be  that  organic  acids  are  also  liberated  which  unite 
with  the  magnesium  to  form  less  harmful  compounds. 

We  have  already  ascertained  that  the  magnesium  can  be  removed 
from  the  soil  by  leaching  or  drainage  after  being  transformed  into  the 
perfectly  soluble  magnesium  sulfate  by  the  double  decomposition  of  mag- 
nesium carbonate  and  calcium  sulfate,  leaving  behind  harmless  calcium 
carbonate  (limestone),  and  we  hope  soon  to  determine  whether  the  quan- 
tity and  cost  of  calcium  sulfate  (gypsum,  or  land  plaster)  and  the  time 


302  BULLETIN  No.  93.  [January^ 

required  for  the  leaching  process  will  prove  to  be  too  great  to  permit 
•  this  to  be  done  economically. 

If  no  manure  or  other  material  is  at  hand,  it  is  well  to  sow  oats  on 
these  spots,  and  if  they  grow  rank  and  fall  down  plow  them  under. 
One  or  two  heavy  crops  of  green  oats  plowed  under  will  usually  put  the 
soil  in  condition  to  grow  one  or  more  crops  of  corn,  and  with  perfect 
drainage  these  soils  will  usually  improve  with  heavy  cropping,  for  they 
are  frequently  very  rich  in  all  elements  of  plant  food.  Plenty  of  tile, 
laid  deep  and  made  to  work  (if  necessary  by  surrounding  them  with  straw, 
corn  cobs,  brush,  etc.)  is  all  that  some  of  these  spots  need  to  make  them 
grow  corn. 

METHODS  OF  SOIL  INVESTIGATION. 

The  Experiment  Station  does  not  undertake  to  analyze  miscellaneous 
samples  of  soil  for  private  parties.  First,  because  the  total  annual  ap- 
propriation for  all  soil  investigations  is  less  than  12£  cents  for  each  quarter 
section  of  Illinois  land,  while  it  costs  at  least  $25,  or  200  times  12£  cents, 
to  analyze  a  single  sample  of  soil.  Second,  because  analyses  of  miscel- 
laneous samples  of  soil,  collected  by  unauthorized  and  untrained  persons, 
by  inaccurate  and  non-uniform  methods,  usually  imperfectly  represent- 
ing a  single  field,  or  sometimes  a  mere  patch  of  ground,  would  be  of  little 
value  even  to  the  owner  of  the  piece  of  land,  and  probably  of  no  value 
to  the  agriculture  of  a  state. 

That  farmers  generally  understand  and  appreciate  that  the  State  Ex- 
periment Station  cannot,  and  ought  not,  to  make  such  analyses  is  evi- 
denced by  the  fact  that,  with  few  exceptions,  there  has  been  no  demand 
upon  us  by  Illinois  citizens  for  such  private  work  at  public  expense. 
That  it  would  be  impossible  to  do  such  work  for  all  Illinois  citizens  is 
also  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  we  have  received  as  many  as  eleven  samples 
of  soil  from  one  man  with  the  request  that  they  should  all  be  analyzed 

The  investigation  of  Illinois  soils  is  being  conducted,  first,  by  a  Gen- 
eral Soil  Survey,  and  second,  by  a  Detail  Soil  Survey.  In  the  general 
survey  the  state  is  divided  into  very  large  soil  areas,  the  divisions  being 
based  largely  upon  the  soil  formation  of  the  areas.  The  principal  type 
of  soil  in  each  great  area  is  then  investigated  and  reported  upon.  This 
gives  valuable  information  concerning  all  of  the  principal  or  most  exten- 
sive types  of  soil  in  the  State,  although  it  does  not  give  all  of  the  exact 
boundary  lines  of  these  types,  and  it  does  not  include  any  investigation 
of  minor  or  less  extensive  types  of  soil,  several  of  which  may  be  inter- 
spersed with  the  principal  type  of  the  area.  A  preliminary  report  on 
the  general  survey  has  already  been  made  in  Circular  No.  68,  and  a  more 
complete  report  is  nearly  ready  for  publication  in  bulletin  form. 

The  detail  survey  is  being  carried  on  as  rapidly  as  it  can  be  done 
with  accuracy.  In  the  detail  survey  all  the  soils  in  an  area  which  is  being 
surveyed  are  gone  over  very  carefully  by  men  who  are  trained  for  this 


1904.]  SOIL  TREATMENT  FOR  PEATY  SWAMP  LANDS.  303 

work,  a  complete  soil  map  being  made  of  all  the  different  types  of  soil 
in  the  area.  This  soil  map  shows  the  location,  extent,  and  boundary 
line  of  each  soil  type.  In  this  detail  soil  mapping  the  Illinois  Experi- 
ment Station  and  the  Bureau  of  Soils  of  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture  are  working  in  close  co-operation.  Each  of  these  types  of 
soil  is  then  investigated  by  the  Experiment  Station,  not  only  by  analyzing 
samples  of  the  soil,  but,  so  far  as  possible,  by  pot  cultures  and  by  field 
experiments  similar  to  those  described  in  this  bulletin.  All  soil  samples 
taken  for  analysis  are  collected  by  Experiment  Station  men,  who  are 
familiar  with  the  most  accurate  and  scientific  methods  of  sampling  soils, 
in  order  that  the  samples  shall  be  taken  by  uniform  methods  which  shall 
render  them  comparable,  and  that  they  shall  be  truly  typical  samples 
of  the  different  strata  of  the  kind  of  soil  which  they  are  to  represent. 
If  the  samples  do  not  truly  represent  the  soil  type,  the  analyses  would, 
of  course,  be  practically  worthless.  It  will  never  be  possible  for  the  Ex- 
periment Station  to  analyze  the  soil  from  every  field  of  every  Illinois 
farm,  but  it  is  possible  and  practicable  to  map  the  soils  of  the  state  in 
detail,  and  then  to  analyze  representative  samples  of  every  type,  so  that 
ultimately  every  farmer  can  know  what  type  or  types  of  soil  cover  his 
farm,  what  the  average  composition  is  of  each  type,  what  crops  are  best 
adapted  to  the  different  soils,  and  what  kinds  of  soil  treatment  or  man- 
agement are  required  to  maintain  or  increase  the  crop  yields. 

More  than  one-tenth  of  the  state  has  now  been  covered  by  the  detail 
soil  survey,  and  the  samples  which  have  been  collected  are  now  being 
analyzed  and  the  results  will  be  published  in  bulletin  form  from  time  to 
time,  as  the  work  progresses.  Every  farmer  should  make  the  greatest 
possible  use  of  the  reports  on  the  general  survey  until  such  time  as  the 
detail  survey  is  extended  over  his  land.  Circular  No.  68,  already  pub- 
lished, furnishes  information  which  more  than  half  the  farmers  in  Illinois 
can  apply  to  their  own  soils,  if  they  will  study  it  as  other  business  men 
study  their  business. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


